Steve Smith has put himself second to Don Bradman for Test centuries scored in England by a visitor after continuing his London love affair in the World Test Championship final against India.
Smith was bowled before lunch on Thursday for 121, but not before he helped Australia take control with the score at 7-422 after the first session of day two at Lord’s.
Travis Head also fell early in the session, caught behind to a Mohammed Sirj (2-106) short ball down legside for 163 after a 285-run stand with Smith.
That prompted a mini-collapse of 4-41 as wickets fell around Alex Carey (22no), leaving the door ajar for India to fight back into the match.
Smith’s century was the 31st of his career and his seventh in England, with only Bradman having scored more as a visiting player in the country with his 11.
Tweet from @7Cricket
London has always been kind to Smith.
He debuted at Lord’s in 2010, and kickstarted his avalanche of runs with his first Test ton at The Oval in 2013.
He now has three centuries at the ground, and appears hellbent on helping Australia lift the Ashes urn there with a first series win in England in 22 years next month.
If Smith continues to bat as he did against India on Wednesday and Thursday, Australia will fancy their chances.
After resuming on 95, he took two balls to bring up his century when he clipped both deliveries to the legside boundary off Siraj.
The 34-year-old drove precisely, and built his knock with the kind of determination to remain at the crease he displayed throughout his dominant 2019 Ashes.
Tweet from @7Cricket
England’s players have spent this week on a golf trip in Scotland ahead of the Ashes, but they would no doubt have Smith on their mind.
It was Smith who seemingly got himself out, chopping on a ball from outside off stump off Shardul Thakur (2-83) after a drinks break to end his 268-ball stay.
If Smith was patient, Head was explosive.
After he resumed on 145, he moved to 163 with a slash outside off stump and two pull-shot boundaries as India continued to bounce him.
India believes it has found a weakness there for both them and England to expose, and while Head was eventually caught behind trying to pull, it took 163 runs to remove him.
Cameron Green followed Head when caught driving at slip off Mohammed Shami (2-102), before Mitchell Starc was run out by Axar Patel trying a quick single on seven.
Tweet from @7Cricket
-AAP
